Run chase too big for Lea & Roses

Milton won the toss and batted first with the Lea & Roses looking for an early wicket to get off to a good start.

This didn’t go to plan as the Milton openers looked to attack from the off.

Mixed with plenty of poor bowling runs, where free flowing and easy to come by for the openers. The score had moved to 55 before opener Stutt was cleaned bowled by Housham.

This brought number three Taylor to the crease and, after looking shaky at the start of his innings, he settled well and also scored runs at a very quick pace.

With all bowlers being knocked around the park, the score moved past the 100 mark and close to 150 before Cooper took the wicket of the second opener Saxelby who had made his way to 60.

With a score of 142/2 at drinks things were looking like a uphill task and the runs kept flowing after the break.

By this point Taylor had gone past his 50 and was looking set for scoring his 100 before he looped one up off the bowling of Keightley on 93 for Needham to just get his fingers under the ball.

With one end open, Smith returned to take a couple of wickets in an over to give the Lea & Roses side a couple of bowling points as they looked to get a few more before the end.

Only one more wicket to fell however, by Keightley, who was by far the best bowler on the day as Milton accumulated a very impressive 287/6 from 46 overs.

With a massive run chase ahead the opening pair of Lane and Needham got off to a quick start, but from the off reaching the total set looked unrealistic. Needham fell with the score on 57 and Lane fell one run later. This halted any flow for runs to be scored at pace as Cooper and Snee looked to start the chase again.

Unfortunately for both, they couldn’t kick on and both wickets fell within a short space of time of each other.

Keightley and Dewick were the next pair to give the run chase a go, albeit now only looking for batting points.

Both were playing lovely shots all around the park including one of Keightley flicks over mid wicket which travelled for a large six.

Dewick was the next man to fall with the scores passing 120, which brought Housham to the crease.

Housham and Keightley built another partnership with the later passing his 50 before the Lea & Roses side passed the 180 mark picking up all four batting points.

In the remaining last few overs Keightley fell for a well deserved 66 and was most definitely a stand out player on a day, where not a lot went right for the team.

At the close of the innings Lea & Roses finished on 192/6, a total on any other day that would have been enough for a win.

Lea & Roses II travelled away to Wellbeck IV where they claimed a winning draw.

Placed into bat Shaun Metcalfe and Ashley Clay got the visitors off to a solid start, on a nice wicket with a lightning fast outfield.

The partnership was broken when Clay looked to go over the top, but didn’t quite get hold of it. This brought in Daniel Clay, who hit his first two balls for four before edging one to gulley shortly after.

The in form Zac Metcalfe was next man in, and true to his form, he went after the bowlers from a start. He quickly moved on to 50, with Shaun Metcalfe raising his bat for his 50 the over later.

The Metcalfe partnership was the biggest of the year for the second team until it eventually ended with Shaun being caught on the boudary for 59.

Harry Street was the next man in and played nicely, supporting the big hitting Metcalfe as he reached a well deserved century. Street eventually fell and James Mann replaced him. Mann added a nice 9 to the total before bowled by a good ball.

Andy Gregory was next man in and played a nice array of shots to earn 16 runs, seeing the innings home with Metcalfe, who finished on a massive 147 not out as Lea & Roses finished with a total of 268-7.

After tea, Lea & Roses opened up with Ashley Clay and Daniel Clay and it didn’t take long to realise that Wellbeck had no intentions of chasing down runs meaning the opening bowlers were faced with a stubborn pair of opening batsmen.

Daniel Clay eventually got one of them, sending his middle stump cart wheeling, and then was unlucky as a chance to catch the remaining opener was put down.

The bowlers plugged away and Ashley Clay was rewarded with the next wicket. An end had opened up, but with the remaining opener taking no risks.

Skipper Metcalfe changed things up, bringing Mickey Newton and Zac Metcalfe on. The pair bowled well but it didn’t look like a wicket was coming, until Metcalfe clipped the top of leg stump to bowl the Wellbeck number four.

Conservative cricket continued until Matthew Saunders launched a good throw to claim a run out. Shortly after the remaining Wellbeck opener was forced off the field with an injury.

With two new batsmen the bowling changed again with Rick Marshall and Andy Gregory coming on to bowl.

Wellbeck were looking to secure some bonus points now, and started going for some runs. This proved to be in Lea & Roses favour as Marshall claimed two wickets courtesy off catches by Zac Metcalfe and Daniel Clay, and Andy Gregory took what was to be the last wicket of the day via a Mickey Newton Catch.

Wellbeck finished on 141-7, only picking up 3 points, with Lea & Roses taking home 17 for the winning draw.